Palau in 2012

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Palau enjoyed a relatively prosperous 2012, thanks in large part to the continuing rise in tourism, which accounted for about half of GDP. The increase—more than 20% during the year—was largely attributed to Palau’s growing reputation as a pristine diving location. Such marked growth, which at times strained the tourism infrastructure, underpinned an annual GDP growth of 4%, a percentage point higher than forecast. Inflation, however, reached an average of 6%, up from 2.6% in 2011.

Fisheries and small-scale agriculture also made important contributions to employment and revenue during the year. Despite such apparent signs of economic health, Palau still remained heavily dependent on fuel and food imports as well as foreign aid.

On November 6 Palau held a general election and a presidential election. The presidential candidates were the sitting president, Johnson Toribiong, and the former president, Tommy Remengesau, Jr., who won with some 59% of the vote. During the campaign Remengesau had criticized the government for forgetting about average citizens, charging that its policies were designed to help the wealthy.

President Toribiong was caught in a scandal over an alleged misuse of funds allocated for the resettlement in Palau of Uighur detainees released from the U.S. military detention camp at Guantánamo Bay. Some two weeks before the elections, the Supreme Court denied the government’s request for dismissal of the case.

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